Hood latch and guide means



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H. KRAUSE HOOD LATCH AND GUIDE MEANS Aug. 15, 1961 Filed Sept. 2, 1958 INVENTOR. 54k)? Mm/se ar/am farfer ifzorveys 1961 H. KRAUSE 2,996,324

HOOD LATCH AND GUIDE MEANS Filed Sept. 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

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ar/fr 4560/6) United States Patent 2,996,324 HOOD LATCH AND GUIDE MEEANS Herbert Krause, Chicago, 111., assignor to Chicago Forgmg and Manufacturing Company, Chicago, III., a corporatlon of Delaware Filed Sept. 2, 1958, Ser. No. 758,529 1 Claim. (Cl. 292-226) This invention relates to latches and has particular relation to latches usable in connection with automobile hoods.

One purpose of the invention is to provide a hood latch assembly having means for guiding a keeper into latching pos1t1on.

Another purpose is to provide a hood latch assembly having guide means disposed in spacedly adjacent relationship with the latching elements thereof.

Another purpose is to provide a hood latch assembly and guide means of maximum simplicity and reliability in operation and of maximum economy in manufacture.

Other purposes will appear from time to time during the course of the specification and claim.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation illustrating a latching assembly of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation illustrating a keeper and guide means of my invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation illustrating the devices of FIGURES 1 and 3 in latching engagement.

Like parts are indicated by like numerals throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, the numeral 1 illustrates generally a latch housing. The latch housing 1 has a pair of spaced side walls 2, 3. Attaching elements or cars 4, 5 extend laterally from an upper edge of each of the side Walls 2, 3, respectively. The cars 4, 5 may be apertured as at 6, 7 to provide for employment of suitable securing means.

The walls 2, 3 are joined at their lower edges by a cross wall portion 8. A keeper-receiving aperture 9 is formed in the wall 8.

A keeper-receiving skirt or cup-shaped member 10 is positioned in the aperture 9 and extends, in spacedly adjacent relationship, between the walls 2, 3 from the wall 8, the member 10 having an annular flange 11 arranged for attachment to the other surface of the wall 8 and a substantially cylindrical wall 12 extending upwardly, as the parts are shown in the drawings, between the walls 2, 3, the cylindrical wall 12 having a first reduced portion 13 and a second reduced portion 14 arranged progressively toward its upper, open end 15.

A pin 20 extends between the walls 2, 3 adjacent their upper edges and overlies the wall 8. Pivotally mounted on the pin 20 is a latch member 21 which is generally U-shaped, having its spaced side walls pivoted on the pin 20 as at 22, 23 and its cross wall 24 joining the spaced side walls and extending laterally therefrom to form the keeper-engaging latch portion 25. A yielding means, such as the coiled spring 26, is wound about a center portion of the pin 20 and has its opposite ends in engagement with the housing 1 as at 27 and with the latch 21 as at 28 to urge the latch portion 25 toward a position overlying or in alignment with a portion of the aperture 9 for engagement with a keeper penetrating therethrough, a slot 25a being formed in cylindrical wall 12 to permit entry of portion 25.

One of the walls 2, 3, the wall 3 being illustrated in the drawings, is slotted as indicated at 30. Pivotally mounted on an outwardly extending end portion of the 2,996,324 Patented Aug. 15, 1961 pin 20, as at 32, is a combined safety latch and operating handle 31. The handle 31 has integrally formed therewith 'an ear or projection 33 having a laterally disposed, latch-engaging abutment 34 extending through the slot 30 for engagement with an abutment rise 21a on a side edge of one of the side walls of latch 21. Each of the latch sidewalls may carry a rise 21a for ease of installation. The projection 33 and abutment 34 are adjacent to the point 32 of the handle member 31 and an edge 30a of slot 30 acts as a stop means for abutment 34 and, through it as a stop for movement of latch surface 25 toward latching position.

The handle member 31, of elongated, curved configuration, carries at its outer or lower extremity, as the parts are illustrated in the drawings, an integrally formed safety hook portion 40 directed inwardly toward a center line of the housing 1. A manually engageable handle element 41 is integrally formed on the handle 31 and extends laterally therefrom in a direction opposite from that in which the hook 40 extends.

Yielding means, such as coil spring 42, has its opposite ends secured to housing 1, as at 43, and to the handle 31, as at 44, to urge the handle 31 toward safety hookengaging position and away from main latch-releasing position. The housing 1 has an end portion generally indicated at 50 formed of a continuation of the walls 2, 3 and 8.

The wall 8 has an open end indicated at 51, the opening 51 being generally U-shaped and intersecting an end edge 52 of the wall 8 to form a female guide member. A portion of the wall 8 is bent upwardly along the edge of opening 51 to form an upwardly extending, as the parts are shown in the drawing, skirt 53 bounding and defining the opening 51. As best seen in FIGURE 1 the skirt 53 forms with the bottom wall 8 a rounded edge indicated, for example, at 54. It will be observed that the opening 51 is of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the keeper-receiving opening 9 and is in alignment therewith along a center line of the wall 8 in spacedly adjacent relationship with the keeper-receiving opening 9.

Housing wall 3 has an inclined edge 3a paralleling handle 31 and handle 31 has an L-shaped ear 31a bent therefrom to enclose edge 31: between itself and adjacent portions of handle 31 to provide guidance of handle 31 While restricting sideward movement of elongated handle 31.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, a keeper is for-med of a shaft 61 having a third portion 62 and an enlarged, generally conically formed head portion 63, having a conical latch-contacting surface 64 and a cylindrical portion 65 adapted to engage, in latching engagement, the latch bolt 21. The keeper 60 is secured to a suitable support, as by the securing means illustrated as the nuts 66. The keeper 60 is illustrated as secured to a support having formed integrally therewith and upstanding therefrom in a slightly inclined plane, an elongated male guide member 71. Member 71 has a conical outer end 71a arranged to penetrate opening 51 and a width throughout its major length substantially equal to the width of opening 51. It will be realized that the support 70 may in turn be secured, as by cars similar to those at 4, 5, to an automobile portion as is well known.

Although an operative form of the device has been shown, the invention is not limited to the particular details shown. Many changes may be made in the form, shape and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the keeper may be installed on the automobile and the latch on the hood or cover, or vice-versa. Similarly, the male guide member may be associated with the latch housing and the female guide member with the keeper.

I claim:

In a hood" latch assembly, a latch plate, attaching bracket means formed on said latch plate, a keeper receiving aperture in said latchiplate side walls on opposite sides of said latch plate and extending perpendicularly thereto, a latch bolt rotatably mounted on said side Walls and yieldingly urged toward keeper engaging position, said bolt being spaced from said aperture, a U-shaped extension on said latch plate lying completely in the plane of said latch plate and completely in the plane of said keeper receiving. aperture, said' extension defining a guide opening, a skirt on said extension surrounding said guide opening, said guide opening being aligned with and of generally the same width as said keeper receiving aperture, said latch plate side Walls extending along opposite sides of, said U-shaped extension, a second attaching bracket, a keeper secured to said second attaching bracket and extending perpendicularly therefrom toward said. aperture, a male guide member secured to said second attaching bracket in spaced relation to said keeper and extending therefrom alongside said keeper, said maleguide member being integral with said second attaching bracket and extending from said bracket in an angularly diverging path relative to said keeper, said male guide member extendingbeyond the end of said keeper a substantial distance, said male guide member having a conical head and a width throughout its length generally the samev asrthe Width of said guide opening and being formed and adapted-to penetrate between the side portions of' said U-shaped extension and to move between said latch plate side walls when said keeper is moved towards said latch plate, said male guide member entering said guide opening and passing between said side walls prior to entrance of said keeper into said keeper receiving aperture to thereby laterally align said keeper and said aperture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,340,042 Case Jan. 25, 1944 2,505,945 Dath May 2, 1950 2,567,366 Dath Sept. 11, 1951 2,795,450 Claud-Mantle June 11, 1957 2,815,822 Ramsey Dec. 10, 1957 2,859,062 Hynes Nov. 4, 1958 

